Gearing



y 8, 1934- w. J. AUSTIN 1,957,989

GEARING Origin al Filed Sept. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ig-1 v INVENTOR.

51275271 J. a M52111 A TTORNEY6.

May 8, 1934. AUSTIN 1,957,989

GEARING Original Filed Sept. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M22502 TauSZ/ z.

A TTORNEY6.

Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED srATss GEARING Wilbert J. Austin, ShakerHeights, Ohio, assignor to The Austin Company, Cleveland, Chic, acorporation of Ohio Original application September 5, 1929, Serial No.390,541. Divided and this application April 19, 1930, Serial No.445,784. Renewed July 27, 1932 7 Claims.

This invention, as indicated, relates to gearing, and has specificreference to the gearing or operating mechanism by which the doors forhangars and the like, forming the subject-matter of my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 390,541, filed September 5, 1929, are actuated.

In structural steel construction, such as is common in structures of thetype above referred to, considerable difficulty is experienced in theinstallation of the mechanism by which the doors and the like areoperated, due to the fact that accuracy with which the variousstructural shapes are assembled is not close enough to accommodate theminute adjustments necessary for the proper functioning of theintermeshing gears comprising the actuating mechanism. But even if itwere practicable to erect a structural steel structure of the requiredaccuracy, the deflections to which such structural steel shapes arenecessarily subject would throw the gearing comprising the actuatingmechanism out of adjustment as soon as an appreciable load was placed onany part of the structural steel structure. It, therefore, becomesnecessary to provide some means whereby the gearing comprising the dooractuating mechanism may be so supported in the structural steelframework that misalignment does not occur, regardless of the stressesto which the structural frame may be subjected.

A further difficulty which has been experienced in theinstallation ofgearing in steel structures is the fact that the workmen who fabricatesuch steel structures are unaccustomed to the minute adjustmentsnecessary for the proper functioning of the gearing and consequentlyconsiderable time is wasted in securing the proper adjustment and aninferior result is usually attained.

It is an object of my invention to provide a means whereby the gearingcomprising the door actuating mechanism can be assembled as a singleunit and installed as such in the steel structure, thereby obviating thepossibility of any misalignment of parts, which depend upon minuteadjustment for eificient operation, as such parts are installed byrelatively unskilled workmen. It is another object of my invention toprovide a means for transmitting the stresses necessarily carried by theshaft which operates the door to the framework of the structure withoutin any way altering the adjustment between the gearing by which suchshaft is driven. A further object of my invention is to provide a meanswhereby the frictional losses in the door actuating mechanism areappreciably curtailed and the whole structure made more readily operableas well as readily adjustable in case of wear which is necessarilyincident to such operating mechanism.

Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one ofvarious mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may beused.

In said annexed drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the door actuating mechanism showninstalled in connection with a door such as described in my aforesaidco-pending application; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of themechanism illustrated in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, i and 5 are fragmentarysection views showing in detail the gear housing and its associatedparts.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Fig.1, the arrangement here illustrated consists of a door 1 which ispivotally supported at 2 and which has an upwardly projecting element 3to which are secured the arms 4 and between which arms is trunnioned thenut 5 which receives the screw shaft 6 for operating. the door. Theframe member 7, from which the door 1 is pivotally supported at 2, hasrearwardly of such support depending members 8 which are rigidly unitedthereto by means of the bolts 9. The members '7 rigidly support a motoror like prime mover 10, which is employed to drive the door actuatingmechanism. The members 8 pivotally support the gearing housing 11 fromwhich projects the actuating shaft 12 and to which is rigidly securedthe sprocket 13 adapted to receive the chain 14 which passes around asprocket 15 on the shaft of the motor 10 by which the shaft 12 isdriven. g

g The shaft of the motor has rigidly secured thereto a sheave 16 adaptedto receive an endless chain by which the doors may be actuated shouldthe electric current fail and the motor 10 become inoperative. On theopposite end of the motor shaft is secured a magnetically controlledbrake 17, the function of which has been explained in my said co-pendingapplication.

The shaft 12 is adapted to receive a preferably flexible connectingelement 18 by which a shaft 19 may be connected if it is desired totransmit power from the motor 10 to more than one door actuatingmechanism.

The gearing housing 11 which is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4 and 5,consists of a bowl-shaped body 20, which has its substantially flat face21 removably secured thereto by means of the bolts 22. Positioned withinthe bowl-shaped body 20 of the gear housing and integrally unitedtherewith are a plurality of webs 23 which reinforce the housing andprovide beam-like supportsfor the door actuating mechanism contained inthe housing and serve to transmit the stresses from such actuatingmechanism to the frame by which the housing is carried. The housing 11has integrally united therewith gudgeons or trunnions 24 and 25 whichoccur adjacent the ends of the webs 23, these gudgeons being adapted totransmit the stresses from the webs to the supports in which thegudgeons are pivoted without subjecting the main body of the housing toany of such stresses.

Positioned intermediately of the webs 23 and integrally united therewithis a bearing support 25, the axis of which intersects the axis of thegudgeons 24 and 25 and extends at right angles thereto. The bearingsupport 25 is adapted to secure a bushing 26 which has a circumferentialflange 27 formed on one end thereof, which flange rests against theterminal portion of the bearing support 25'. The bearing support 25 hasintegrally formed therewith another bearing support 28', the axis ofwhich is coincidental to the axis of the gudgeons 24 and 25. The bearingsupport 28 is laterally supported from the webs 23 by webs 29 whichserve to materially strengthen the construction.

Revolubly supported in the bushing 26 is the screw shaft 6 by which thedoor is actuated. Where the screw shaft 6 passes through the closuremember 21 of the housing a grease retaining and dust excluding element30 is provided which is secured to such closure member 21 by means ofbolts 31 and which has a grease retaining ring 32 secured therein, whichclosely hugs the screw shaft 6. Revolubly supported at its terminalportion 33 in the bushing 34, which is positioned in the bearing support28, is the shaft 12. The shaft 12 is revolubly supported in the bushing35 secured in the cylindrical mem ber 36 which is coaxially mounted inthe gudgeon 25 and secured thereto by means of the bolts 3'7. Positionedintermediately of the outwardly directed circumferential flange 38 ofthe member 36 and the terminal portion of the gudgeon 25 are a pluralityof shims 39 by which axial adjustment of the member 36 may be effected.Secured to the member 36 is a collar 40 which contains a greaseretaining and dust excluding packing ring 41, which snugly fits to theshaft 12. The screw shaft 6 has rigidly secured thereto by means of thekey 42 a bevel gear 43 which intermeshes with a bevel pinion 44 which isrigidly secured to the shaft 12 by means of the key 45. Where the screwshaft 6 projects through the bearing 26 it is encompassed by a thrustbearing 46 which is preferably of the anti-friction type. Secured to theterminal portion of the screw shaft 6 are the lock nuts 47 and 48, andpositioned intermediately of the thrust bearing 46 and the lock nut 47is a collar 49 which is secured to the shaft 6 by means of the dowel orkey 50, which prevents the thrust bearing from loosening the lock nutsduring the rotation of the screw shaft 6.

The bearings 26, 34 and 35 have lubricant ducts 51, 52 and 53respectively connecting the bearing surfaces with the interior of thehousing for the purpose of permitting free access of the lubricantcontained in the housing to these bearing surfaces. The housing has acap 54 rigidly secured thereto by means of the bolts 55, which cap,being readily removable, permits of access to the lock nuts 47 and 48for adjustment of the screw shaft 6 as it may require adjustment due tothe wear or other circumstances during the course of the life of themechanism. The closure member 21, with its associated gland member 30,is made of sufiicient strength so that should the lock nuts 47 or 48become disengaged from the shaft 6, or the shaft 6 to the right of thebevel gear 43 fail for any reason whatsoever, these closure members willbe of sufiicient strength so that the gear 43 will not be pulled fromthe housing, thereby preventing the possibility of any accidentaldropping of the doors which are connected to the screw shaft 6. Thehousing 10 is provided with suitable apertures 56 and 57 which arenormally closed by means of the screw plugs 58 and 59, respectively,these apertures forming means whereby the grease or lubricant containedwithin the housing may be replenished or drawn off, as the occasion maydemand, during the operation of the mechanism.

It will' be seen that I have provided a means whereby the positivealignment of the gears comprisingthe door actuating mechanism is insuredand with the use of my device it is possible to assemble the gearing ina machine shop where the close adjustments necessary are readilyattainable, and then shipping such assembled unit to the point ofinstallation, materially assists in the ready installation of such unitand absolutely insures the proper adjustment of the various parts, eventhough installed by workmen unskilled in this particular art.

With the construction of the mechanism as above set forth, suchmechanism requires practically no attention during the life of its useother than the mere supplying oflubricant thereto at relatively longintervals. This feature is particularly advantageous in that mechanismsof this character are usually installed in places not readily accessibleand, therefore, are frequently subject to neglect and improper care.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a door actuating mechanism, the com bination of a revoluble screw,means disposed radially of said screw for causing rotation thereof, ahousing revolubly supporting said screw and said radially disposedmeans, a support for said housing, said housing having substantiallyaligned trunnions journalled on said support, a shaft journalled on saidhousing and extending thereinto, and means in the housing operablyconnecting said shaft with said screw.

2. In a door actuating mechanism, the combination of a revoluble screw,means disposed ra- I dially of said screw for causing rotation thereof,a member having a plurality of spaced webs, means intermediate said websfor revolubly supporting said screw and said radially disposed drivingmeans, a support, and gudgeons on said member substantially at the endsof said webs and journalled on said support.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of ahousing, a revoluble screw shaft, means disposed radially of said screwshaft for causing rotation thereof, a plurality of webs in said housing,means intermediate of said webs for revolubly supporting said screwshaft and said radially disposed means, a support, and gudgeons on saidhousing adjacent the ends of said webs and journalled on said support.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of ahousing, a plurality of webs in said housing, a revoluble screw shaft,means intermediate said webs for revolubly supporting said screw shaft,a second. shaft revolubly sup ported in said last named means andextending radially from the axis of said first named screw shaft, meansinterconnecting said shafts for transmitting rotation from one to theother, and gudgeons on said housing adjacent the ends of said webs, oneof said gudgeons adapted to coaxially support said second shaft.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of ahousing, a plurality of webs in said housing, a revoluble screw shaft,means intermediate said webs for revolubly supporting said screw shaft,means for axially adjusting said screw shaft, a second shaft, meansintermediate said webs for revolubly supporting said second shaft,gudgeons on said housing adjacent the ends of said webs, one of saidgudgeons adapted to coaxially support said second shaft, and meansassociated with said last named gudgeon for axially adjusting saidsecond shaft.

6. In an actuating mechanism for doors, the combination of a screw blockoscillatably mounted on such door, a screw shaft engaged by said screwblock for actuating said door, a housing revolubly and axiallysupporting said screw shaft, a support for said housing, gudgeons onsaid housing and journalled on said support, and means for transmittingrotation to said screw shaft comprising a gear in said housing on saidscrew shaft, a pinion in said housing cooperating with said gear, and ashaft extending into the housing for driving said pinion.

'7. In an actuating mechanism for doors, the combination of a screwblock oscillatably mounted on said door, a screw shaft engaged by saidscrew block for actuating said door, a housing revolubly and axiallysupporting said screw shaft, a support, gudgeons on said housing andjournalled in said support, and cooperating gear means interiorly ofsaid housing for transmitting rotation to said shaft.

WILBERT J. AUSTIN.

